Hydraulic turbine



March 23 1926.

H. TAYLOR HYDRAULIC TURBINE Original Filed July 24, 1917 M Mm Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

uarreo wear HARVEY BIRGHARD TAYLOR, OF PHILADELPHIA, FENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNQB TO WILLIAM CRAMP & SONS SHIP 8t BUILDING COMPANYQA CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

HYDRAULIC runnrnn.

Original application filed Jul 24, 1917, Serial No. 182,498.- Divided and. this application filed Mayj23,

1922. Serial lilo. 532,970.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I'IARVEYBIRGIIAHD,

The principal object 01" my invention is to 10 provide a new andimproved substructure for a hydraulic turbine of the inflow type and particularly to such a turbine having a straight draft tube receiving the discharge from the runner and discharging it through an annular outlet at its lower end. Another object of my invention is to provide suitable supporting means for such a turbine and its associated masonry structure. Another object is to make a stay vane ring to go in the draft conduit of such a turbine. Still another object of my invention is'to provide columns orpier's' in the draft conduit beneath such a turbine that shall be effective as supports for the superposed structure and at the same time have the proper disposition as vanes with respect to the water flow in the conduit. These'and other objects of my invention will be made apparent in the following disclosure of a. limited number of examplesof forms in which the invention may be embodied.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention,

Figs. 1 and 2 are verticaland horizontal sectional views respectively of a turbine structure embodying the invention.

I The turbine runner 12 has vanes 11 and is of the vertical shaft type. The supply conduit terminates in a spiral or volute portion 1'4: surrounding the runner 12. A speed ring 15' is provided directing the flow to the adjustable guide vanes 16 so that the entering flow has a whirl imparted to it around the axis of the runner as a center.

Directly below the runner 12 there is an ordinary straight draft tube 17 with vertiis a stay ring har ing the va11es18 extending across the'annular flaring conduit between the crown ring 19 and the conical projection 20.. The surfaces ol the crown ring 19 and conical pr0:- jection 20 are surfaces of revolution forming between them atlaring passage 21 i"e;-" 'ce1v ng the flow in substantially axial'direction from the straight drai't tube 17 i and 5 turning it outwardlto the radial or horizon tal direction and at the same time lowering both the meridian and whirling velocity components and thus acting as a diffuser to create a suction or draft loweringthe back pressure on the. draft tube 17. a

The projection 20 extends upward fromthe horizontal floor 22 of the dischargecon duit 23 as shown in Fig. 1 and finally curving and merging intothesurtace of this floor as indicated at 2 1-; The center of this projection 20 is not carried upto a sharp point but. is rounded cit its apex as indicated at 25 andit terminates below the horinular space 27 between the end of the crown ring and the surface of thepprojection 20 forms anannular outlet from the d aft tube 17, the lower wall of this annular outlet curving downward while the upper wall turnsupward as indicated at'28, said walls at any point being spaced apart a distance less than the smallest diameter of the upper wall. The discharge conduit 23 has its vertical wall 30 in volute or spiral form beginning at the stay vane 18 and extending around to merge with the wall of the outlet passage 31 whiclrleads to the tailwater and opens below the surface of the tailwater. lVhile the diverging surfaces at 20, 28, permit the discharge to expand in a vertical direction the spiral wall30 collects the flow lines into a solid stream directed outward tolerated, the stay vanes 18 being d po'sc,, they are suitably curved to receive the water in its natural direction of flow and to provide a gradually increasing cross tional area measured perpendicularly to the stream elements between neighboring vanes. This deceleration of the outflow iscontinued in the expanding volute collector passage 23 so that all portions of the outflow conduit combine to convert the velocity head of the discharge into pressure head relieving the back pressureon the runner. These succes sive portions of the draft conduit, merge smoothly and gradually into each other so that tlie-re'are no abrupt changes in direction orvelocity of theflow. The construction as a whole is simple and readily adapted to various installations by varying the proportionate. length of the straight draft tube 17 and the sizes and proportions of the remaining elements. The ring of stay vanes 18 directly supports the sub-structure masonry from the foundation below giving a continuous columnar reinforcement from the foundation all the ay to the runner chauu her. The core 20 with its rounded surface is formed directlyin the concrete without the necessity of providing a metal tip or a cap piece.

I claim 1. A draft tube fora turbine comprising a straight expanding passage adapted to decelerate the dischar e, and an annular passage-receiving the flow fromsaid straight passage and guiding it toward the radial direction while decelerating both the meridian and whirling components of velocity of flow,- s'aid annular passage being contained between outer surfaces of revolution and a central conical member having a convex rounded apex.

2. A draft tube for a turbine comprising a straight expanding passage adapted to decelerate the discharge, and an annular passage receiving the flow from said straight passage and guiding it toward the radial direction while decelerating both the meridian and whirling components of velocity of flow,'said annular passage being contained bet-ween outer surfaces of revolution between outer surfaces of revolution and a central conical member having a convex rounded apex, and a stay vane ring ettending between said surfaces of revolution and said conical member.

t. A draft tube for a turbine comprising a straight expanding passage adapted to dccelerate the discharge, an annular passage receiving the flow from said straight passage and guiding it toward the radial direction while decelerating both the meridinn and whirling components of velocity of flow, said annular passage being contained between outer surfaces of revolution and acentral conical member having a convex rounded apex and inclined surrounding surfaces extending outward beyond said surfaces of revolution, and a stay vane ring extending between said surfaces of revolution and said conical member.

5. Adraft tube for a turbine comprising a straight expanding passage adapted to decelerate the discharge, an annular passage reeiving the flow from said straight passage and guiding it toward the radial direction while decelcratingboth the meridan and whirling components of velocity of flow, said annular passage being contained between outer surfaces of revolution and a central conical member having a convex rounded apex, and a volute collecting chamher receiving the flow from said annular passage and having upper and lower diverg ing walls and a surrounding spiral wall.

6. In a draft tube a flaring annular passage discharging the-flow outwardly, and a volute collection chamber surrounding said passage and comprising upper and lower walls diverging away from each other in an outward direction and a surrounding spiral wall. 7

7. A draft tube passage for aturbine comprising an upper surface of revolution curving first downward and then upwarc and a lower surface of revolution having a downward inclination and forming with said upper surface of revolution an annular flaring passage turning the flow outwardly and decelerating its meridian and whirling components.

8. A draft tube passage for a turbine C0111? prising an upper surface of revolution curving first downward and. then upward and a lower surface of revolution having a downward inclinatioliand forming with, said. upper surface of iGYOlllllO'll an annular flaring passage turning the flow outwardly and decelerating its meridau and whirling components, and supporting stay vanes ex tending between said lower and upper surfaces. 7

9. A draft tube for a turbine, comprising a straight, gradually enlarging conical pas sage, a flaring annular passage receiving the flow from said conical passage and discharg lli) ing it outwardly awayfrom the turbine axis, and a volute collection chamber surrounding said annular passage adapted to gathertogether the divergingstreams leaving said stream having a direction tangent to said spiral.

1.1. In combination, a turbine runner with vertical axis, a masonry foundation structure below the runnner having a downward flaring draft tube therein with a rounded core and an annular discharge space, the discharge being of less area than an intermediate cross section measured normally to the lines of flow, and a series of metal stay vanes standing across said discharge space around the axis with their upper ends engaging the masonry structure around said draft tube. Y

12. In combination, a turbine runner with vertical axis, a masonary foundation structure below the runner having a downward flaring draft tube therein with a curvedconical wall and an annular discharge space,

the discharge space being of less area than an intermediate cross-section measured normally to thelines of flow, said masonry foundation structure comprising a wall extending across below said draft tube and having a central upwardly projecting rounded portion, and a series of metal stay vanes standing on said wall around the axis with their upper ends engaging the masonry structure thereabove.

13. In a turbine having a substantially axial discharge from the runner the combination with an expanding draft tube having its end curving outward toward tailwater and adapted to discharge the flow toward tailwater and outwardly on each side of said expanding tube, of a passage on each side receiving and collecting said side flow and having an upper surface continuous with and curving upward from the flaring end surface of said expanding draft tube, said passage collecting and guiding the flow toward tailwater while decelerating its velocity.

14. In a turbine having a substantially axial discharge from the runner the com bination with an expanding draft tube having its end curving outward toward ailwater and adapted'to discharge thefl-ow to ward tailwater and outwardly on each side of said expandingtube,:of a passage-on each side receiving and collecting said side tlow and having an upper surface continuous with and curving upward from the flaring end surface of said expanding drafttube, said passage collecting and guiding the flow toward tailwater while decelerating its velocity, and a central. conical member cooperating with the flaring end surface of said expanding draft tube to spread'the flow outward on each side.

I 15. In a hydraulic turbine the combination with a straight downwardly directed draft tube, of a flaring portion at its lower end turning the flow and discharging'it outwardly, and a discharge passage receiving the flow from said flaring portion and extending in unsymmetrical form around the outlet of said flaring portion and offset laterally on one side so as to receive and collect and decelerate a whirling outflow while turning it and guiding it toward final tailwater.

16. In a hydraulic turbine the combination with a straight downwardly directed draft tube, of a flaring portion at its lower end turning the flow and discharging it out wardly and a discharge passage receiving the flow from said flaring portion and ex tending in unsymmetrical form around the outlet of said flaring portion and offset laterally on one side so as to receive and col lect and decelerate a whirling outflow while turning it and guiding it toward final tailwater, the upper wall of said discharge passage turning upward from said flared portion.

17. In a hydraulic turbine the combination with a straight downwardly directed draft tube, of a flaring portion at its lower end turning the flow and discharging 1t 0ut wardly, and a volute discharge passage re-' away from the axis toward a radial direction, said walls at any point being spaced apart a distance less than the smallest diameter of said upper wall, and a discharge passage surrounding said flaring portion and having its upper surface formed as a continuation of the upper surface of said flaring portion.

19. In a draft tube for a hydraulic turbinetlie COIl'lblllHtlOD with astraight portion receiving the flow "from the runner, of an outwardly flaring conduit at the outlet end of said straight portion and comprising up- 5 per ancllower Walls curving outward away from the axis toward n radial direction, the lower Wall at its uppermost point being spaced below the lowermost flare of the upper well, and a discharge passage surrounding said flaring portion and having its up- 10 per surface continuing from the upper surface of said flaring portion.

I HARVEY BIRCHARD TAYLOR. 

